By Elliott Morton, AIC Research Associate

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election looms just a few short months away, many Americans’ minds are focused on the race between former president Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. The contest carries tremendous implications for foreign policy. While the candidates’ approaches to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza may be two of the most discussed foreign policy matters at stake, future US-Iran relations also heavily depend on the outcome of this election. Below, I will map out the possibilities for each candidate’s Iran policy should either be elected. While we cannot predict the future, the unusual circumstances of an incumbent vice president and former president competing for the White House allows for greater insight into future policies based in part on previous actions. This article will compare the Iran policies of the Trump and Biden-Harris administrations and will evaluate their likely impacts on Iran policy in a potential future term.